France - deborahparkerwong

Fleur Geffrier, Antoine Chappey and Tomohisa Yamashita in "Drops of God," now streaming on Apple TV.

25 Wines Spied in “Drops of God” Second Season

January 6, 2026 deborahparkerwong Wine Tasting, Blind Tasting, Bordeaux, Burgundy, Burgundy, California, Champagne, France, Gigongas, Italy, Languedoc, multisensory, Pinot Noir, Rhone Valley, sensory, Sommeliers, Veneto, winegrowing, Winemaking

French wines takes center stage in season two.

Makers of historic sweet wines rejoice. Gen Z adores you.

December 17, 2025 deborahparkerwong Wine, Bordeaux, France, Gen Z, Germany, Italy, Loire Valley, Piedmont, Portugal, Rhone Valley, Roussillon, Sicily, Spain, Sweet, Veneto

The message my students are sending to the makers of the world’s historic sweet wines amounts to a love letter. My passion for these historic wines can only be described as a love affair.

Image (a) depicts bubbles ascending in a laser-etched glass containing 100 milliliters of Champagne; (b) shows a network of convective cells revealed through 3D computational fluid dynamics modeling; and (c) shows the corresponding velocity field along the axis of symmetry of the glass.

The Science of Bubbles

April 6, 2025 deborahparkerwong Champagne, France, glassware, Luxury, multisensory, Prosecco, sensory, sensory science, SOMM Journal, Sparkling wine, Wine Tasting

Bubbles are the hallmark of all sparkling wines, and they play a significant role in the cachet that surrounds this category. Even the terms “bubbles,” “mousse,” and “Champagne” elicit a pleasurable response in expert and novice consumers alike.

Gigondas’ First White Wines Shine

September 4, 2024 deborahparkerwong Gigongas, France, Rhone Valley, SOMM Journal, Wine, winegrowing

Gigondas joins Languedoc’s oldest white-wine AOP, Clairette du Languedoc, established in 1948, and Clairette de Bellegarde, a tiny Southern Rhône AOP in the Costières de Nîmes, in showcasing
Clairette, which often serves as the base in Southern Rhône and Languedoc blends.

Stem Compounds Help Reduce Alcohol and Boost Freshness

August 4, 2023 deborahparkerwong Wine, France, Research, sensory, sensory science, SOMM Journal, Winemaking

There’s more to wine grape stems than tannin. The discovery of new stem compounds has prompted researchers at the Laboratoire Excell biochemistry lab in Bordeaux to re-evaluate the benefits of including stems during this crucial stage of production.

The New Gold Rush

July 8, 2022 deborahparkerwong Australia, Beaujolais, France, Italy, Restaurants, Sicily, Wine, Wine & Food Pairing

The San Francisco Bay Area has long been a destination for the wine world’s movers and shakers; you can read about those I meet in my new column, Date by the Gate. This cycle, winemakers and authors made their way to the the area with tastings and book signings that were nothing less than awe-inspiring.

Learning to Perceive

February 8, 2022 deborahparkerwong Wine, Aroma, Bordeaux, France, Scent, Semillon, sensory, sensory science, SOMM Journal

While perceptual learning plays an important role in evaluating wine, there’s another phenomenon related to perception that arises from the wine itself: perceptual interaction. When our olfactory system
is confronted with complex aromas, we often perceive them as a single aroma due to odor blending in a process known as
configural perception (our perception of the smell of coffee as a single aroma is just one of many examples).

Age drives complexity in sparkling wine

December 17, 2021 deborahparkerwong Champagne, France, sensory, sensory science, SOMM Journal, Wine, Winemaking

After tasting the Piper-Heidsieck Hors-Série 1971 ($499), a rare, late disgorged Champagne that spent 49 years resting peacefully on its lees, I was inspired to delve deeper into the role yeast autolysis plays in the flavor development of sparkling wine.

We’re losing Syrah’s peppery notes

August 20, 2021 deborahparkerwong Wine, Aroma, France, sensory, sensory science, SOMM Journal, winegrowing, Winemaking

Now the days of comparing a
glass of Northern Rhône Syrah to
a strip of peppered bacon appear
to be coming to an end.

France protects sensory heritage

March 12, 2021 deborahparkerwong France, SOMM Journal, Sustainability, Terroir, Wine, winegrowing

An infamous rooster named Maurice and a gaggle of contented geese have helped ensure biodiversity in France. In the face of complaints about the noises and smells typical of the countryside, the French Parliament passed a law on January 21, 2021, protecting what it calls the “sensory heritage” of its rural areas.

Brut Sous Bois Q & A with Mathieu Roland-Billecart

December 6, 2020 deborahparkerwong France, Champagne, Winemaking

No one needs a reason to drink Champagne but ringing out 2020 is certainly a good opportunity to reach for something beyond your sentimental favorite. In an effort to learn more about Billecart-Salmon’s Brut Sous Bois, I asked Mathieu Roland-Billecart for the inside scoop on this particular cuvée.

Five Reasons to Love Grenache, Garnacha Blanc and Gris (Chinese translation)

November 18, 2020 deborahparkerwong Chinese, France, Roussillon, Spain, Terra Alta

A hearty welcome to the site for Rex Ting-chia Ting, DipWSET who has translated Five Reasons to Love Grenache Garnacha Blanc and Gris for those who read Chinese.

The Sauvignon Blancs of Concours Mondial du Sauvignon

April 9, 2020 deborahparkerwong Austria, Bordeaux, Chile, France, Loire Valley, Napa Valley, New Zealand, Sauvignon Blanc, sensory, SOMM Journal, Wine

There is no better time to gauge the quality and stylistic range of Sauvignon Blanc than during the only international wine competition devoted solely to the variety: the 2020 Concours Mondial du Sauvignon, which unfolded in Touraine, France, in early March.

The Beauty of Vins Doux Naturels

March 3, 2020 deborahparkerwong France, Roussillon

The Roussillon region of Southern France is home to five AOPS that produce fortified vins doux naturel wines.

Golden Bordeaux: A triumph with popular snacks

December 19, 2018 deborahparkerwong Bordeaux, Botrytis cinerea, Food and wine pairing, France

There are two basic, intentional approaches to food and wine pairing: mirroring the flavors and weight of a wine with similar foods resulting in what I like to call “a sublime experience” and contrasting pairings, a “high-risk, high-reward approach” that works the opposite ends of the flavor spectrum for maximum impact.

A tranquil moment with Didier Depond

August 18, 2018 deborahparkerwong Champagne, Chardonnay, France, SOMM Journal

In a rare tête-a-tête, The SOMM Journal joined Didier Depond, President of the Champagne houses Salon and Delamotte, for an[…]

Residual light and the color gradation of rose

July 8, 2018 deborahparkerwong France, Provence, SOMM Journal, Sonoma

While the level of residual sugar plays a role in the finished style of a wine, the color of all[…]

The pursuit of luxury

February 21, 2018 deborahparkerwong Champagne, France, Luxury, SOMM Journal, Wine

Considering the benefits of spending more on wine. Luxury wine brands rank among a handful of product categories that are[…]

Twelve months of bubbles

December 27, 2017 deborahparkerwong California, Cava, Champagne, Chardonnay, France, Italy, minerality, Pinot Noir, Prosecco, Rosé, Sonoma, Spain, Sparkling wine, Terroir, Veneto, Winemaking

From Asti to Champagne, bubbles were a bright spot in 2017. While sparkling wine is no longer confined to special[…]

The gifts of Bacchus: Gilding the lily with Bordeaux Gold

December 24, 2017 deborahparkerwong Bordeaux, Botrytis cinerea, France, Germany, Italy, Wine & Food Pairing

The Gifts of Bacchus: Gilding the lily with Bordeaux Gold

Incredible bulk: The changing nature of the international bulk wine market is creating opportunities

December 4, 2017 deborahparkerwong Bulk wine, Cabernet Sauvignon, California, France, Italy, Spain, Spirited, Spirits, Wine

It’s estimated that roughly 25 percent of the world’s wine production is sold as bulk wine, a segment that’s described[…]

Red blends: Greater than the sum of their parts

October 11, 2017 deborahparkerwong Argentina, Bordeaux, Bulk wine, California, Featured, Italy, Languedoc, Portugal, Sangiovese, Sauvignon Blanc, SOMM Journal, Spain, Trends, Winemaking

While researching the current popularity of blended wines in preparation for a talk at the 2017 International Bulk Wine and Spirits[…]

Q & A with CEO Sid Patel, The International Bulk Wine and Spirits Show

June 26, 2017 deborahparkerwong Bulk wine, Cabernet Sauvignon, California, Carneros, Central Valley, Chardonnay, Languedoc, Lodi, Partnerships, Portugal, Provence, Restaurants, Rosé, San Francisco, Sauvignon Blanc, Sommeliers, Sonoma, Spain, Sparkling wine, Spirits, Trends, Veneto, Wine

San Francisco continues to be one of the world’s most important destinations for leading players in the wine industry, so it’s no surprise that a major conference dedicated to the private label and bulk trade is making its way to the city on July 26-27.

A Sparkling Continuity: Jordan Cuvée Champagne by AR Lenoble

May 31, 2017 deborahparkerwong Champagne, France, Packaging, Partnerships, SOMM Journal, Sonoma, Trends

In more ways than one, Champagne has begun infiltrating wineries in Sonoma and Napa counties. With several unprecedented examples that include Napa cult wine producer Sinegal launching its brand in conjunction with a prestige Champagne house, Sonoma’s Buena Vista Winery–branded Champagne and the unique partnership between Jordan Winery and the grower Champagne house of AR Lenoble, there’s a trend in the making.